Transformers: Generation's End
by Conor E
Summary: Following the events of the movie, the Decepticons seem all but defeated. But when a spectre of the past and a long forgotton enemy return, will the Autobots have any hope for survival?
1. Prologue/The Preserve

Author's note: I don't own any of these characters. All featured characters are owned by Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel Comics. Any other characters are owned by me, I suppose.  
  
This is mainly set in the cartoon continuity, sometime after the movie. I'm ignoring the whole return of Optimus Prime story.  
  
In the movie, Unicron is shown creating 3 Sweeps and 2 Cyclonuses (Cycloni?), and afterwards, they usually show 4 Sweeps and 1 Cyclonus. So anyway, as far as I'm concerned, Thundercracker=Cyclonus, Skywarp=Scourge, the Insecticons=the Sweeps.  
  
  


**Prologue**

  
  


**D**awn. On the planet Xaavonce, dawn was a beautiful sight to behold. 

Although Xaavonce had an extremely advanced society, the populace shunned technology. After decades of warfare, the Xaavonese people finally achieved peace. Feeling that technology had been the cause of the war, they decided to put technology aside, and return to more traditional, peaceful ways, the ways of their ancestors who had evolved from the reptiles. As such, there was very little pollution in the atmosphere, giving an unobstructed view of the sunrise.< p>Sub-Commander R'tahok of the Northern Defense Force admired the view, as the the light reflected off the moons, and then disapeared from the visable spectrum. R'tahok was one of the few soldiers from the old war who still lived, the others having succumbed to ravages of time. He remembered the horrors of war, as hatch mate fought hatch mate. But that was a long time ago, and he was little more than a hatchling then. Now he was a veteran, and a respected member of the Defense Force. The Defense Force itself was also largely ceremonial. It gave the people a sense of security; if something happened, they would deal with it. _Since the wars, the only time I've used my weapons was when I fought off a wild Igyak,_ he chuckled to himself. 

The first to see it was a rookie, barely with all his adult scales. "Sub-Commander! Look at the sun!" 

R'tahok was about to chastise him for his outcry, until he saw it as well. A large black mass moved across the sun, and it was getting larger. "I've never seen anything like it..." he said, aghast. It was no cloud, no eclipse. And it was approaching the planet. 

It landed a few miles south of their position, and immediately began devouring everything in its path, leaving only a flat wasteland in its wake. 

"Sub-Commander! What do we do?" the rookie said. 

"Make your peace with the gods." was all R'tahok could think to say. 

Maybe if they had technological weapons, they could mount an opposition to these invaders. Maybe they would have been just as doomed. It didn't matter, as their bows and spears were having little effect. R'tahok finally got a good look at them, as his unit was consumed. They had the appearance of giant skulls, with tendrils extending out their backs. They left a trail of mist that was as black as their bodies, which seemed to phase in and out of synch with the physical world. _Why? We returned to the old ways! Why would the gods allow this?_ was R'tahok's last thought as he too was consumed by the aliens. 

In all, it took 33 hours for the invaders the cleanse the surface of Xaavonce, taking it's plants, it's minerals, it's animals, it's resources, and it's people. The planet was now an empty husk, which would eventually fragment into asteroids. 

And so the Swarm moved on, looking for a new world to consume.  
  
  


**Transformers: Generation's End  
  
Chapter 1**

  
  
Cybertron: 2007  
  


**D**awn. On Cybertron, dawn had little meaning. With the planet almost entirely covered with technological cities, one was able to find adequate lighting almost anywhere. Anywhere that is, except for the Preserve. The Preserve was founded early in Cybertron's history, so long ago that the details have been lost in time. It's purpose was to maintain an area of 50 square miles in the planet's original state, it's state before the times of Primus. It was just about the only place on the planet where vegetation could be found. The Dinobot known as Swoop came here often to watch the sunrise, as this was the only place he could view it unobstructed. During his time Earth, Swoop and the other Dinobots learned to appreciate it's natural beauty more than most other Autobots, possibly because they were the first Autobots constructed on Earth, and the first based on animals. 

As he admired the sunrise he thought, _Snarl would have loved this,_ remembering his comrade who died in battle against Devastator, a year before the coming of Unicron. 

The sunrise complete, Swoop jumped from the tree he was perched in, and began flying towards Iocon, the capital of Cybertron. 

Swoop shuddered briefly as he passed through the special energy shield that existed to protect the Preserve from Cybertron's harsh environment. A case in point: just four miles from the Preserve was a melting pit, one of many created after Unicron's coming to convert the shattered remains of the sector Unicron attacked into new building materials. Although the thick smoke made it somewhat difficult for Swoop to see, he was able to make out the form of Kup, who was supervising the operation at this pit. 

"Okay now, just a bit more to the left. Drop it... now! Good, move over to..." the old Autobot instructed a construction droid, as Swoop interrupted him. 

"Kup! When you tell Swoop war stories?" Swoop asked. "It been nearly a month since you tell Dinobots story!" 

Kup, trying to conceal his annoyance, "I don't have time for that now. This is the first lull in fighting we've had in months. I don't know when there'll be another chance to work on the reconstruction. I'll tell you what. As soon as Cybertron's repaired, AND the Decepticons have been defeated, I'll tell you as many stories as you want." 

"But Swoop want hear story now!" he pleaded. 

"Why don't you go bug Hot Rod! He's Prime now, I'm sure he has plenty of good stories." Kup said, trying to find a way out. 

The Dinobot considered this a moment, and finally decided it was the best he was going to get. He once again headed for Iocon, and was surprised to find that he was recieving an A-1 priority message. 

The message began, "This is Rodimus Prime. This message is being routed to several Autobot warriors, and I request that you make your way to the Citadel for an emergency meeting. End transmission." Although he was already heading in that direction, Swoop transformed to robot mode for greater speed and headed for the Citadel, the seat of Cybertron's power. 


	2. Secret Meeting/Nah, It Couldn't Be HIM.....

Author's note: once again, I own nothing. Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel Comics? They own everything. Me: nothing. Them: everything.  
  
  


**Chapter 2**

  
  


**T**he Citadel sat in the center of Iocon, and was constuscted shortly after Cybertron was reclaimed from the Decepticons. It was 106 levels high, with several below ground, and at the top level was the office of Rodimus Prime. Perceptor nearly screamed when Swoop flew in through the window, as he was almost knocked over. 

"Can't you take the elevator like everyone else?" asked Perceptor, trying to regain his bearings. 

"Sorry." was all Swoop had to say to him. He then looked to Rodimus, "What going on?" 

Rodimus, who had been pacing up to this point said, "Swoop, good, you're the first one here. I'll tell you everything once the others get here. But in the future, would you mind using the door? Besides, we're meeting in the 'quiet' room on sub-level 4. Follow me." and he and Perceptor, who was checking his stress levels, followed him to the elevator. 

Swoop shrugged his shoulders and went along, noting to Perceptor, "Look like we ride together." 

Perceptor sighed and said, "I can't think of anything I would rather do." as the doors closed. 

The purpose of the 'quiet' room was to make it impossible for spies to listen in on top level meetings. As a side effect, it was also one of the only spots on Cybertron with no background noise. Anywhere else on the planet, machine sounds were prevelent, and were nearly overwhelming to humans. In the quiet room, however, there was silence. Springer found this to be very unnerving. There was some noise. Blaster and Jazz discussed music; Bumblebee attempted to keep up in a conversation with Blurr; Kup was holding court with Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge, with a story about an Igyak or Shrikebats or somesuch. Ultra Magnus, as usual, brooded. _But it's just so quiet,_ he thought to himself. Normally, he would be hitting on Arcee, but she was stationed on Earth. _With about half the other Autobots._ Galvatron had been focusing his attacks on Earth as of late, so the majority of Autobot forces were at Autobot City. _Leaving us open._

The executive elevator opened, and Rodimus, Perceptor, and Swoop walked out. Swoop moved towards his fellow Dinobots, who welcomed him, until they started trading insults. 

Springer said, "Prime, why'd you drag us all down here?" 

"It's good to see that everyone made it," Rodimus announced. "I'll tell you why in just a moment. First, let's get a status report from Earth. Blaster, if you would?" 

"Sure thing." Blaster moved over to the communications console. "Blaster to Autobot City, please resond. Blaster to Auto--" 

"Blaster? What's going on?" It was Skids, the Autobot's theoretician. "Is it time for a report already?" 

"Not quite." said Rodimus, moving next to Blaster. 

"Oh, hey Hot Rod. I mean Rodimus, sorry, force of habit. What's up?" said Skids, trying to recover. 

Rodimus smiled at Skids' delivery, and inquired, "Is there anything unusual going on down there? Anything at all?" 

Skids looked deep in thought for a moment, "Well there was thing. An excavation crew came across an extremely old human settlement, one they think could be one of the first." 

"And what's so unusual about that?" Blaster interjected. 

"Well, at the center of the settlement, they found some sort of mechanical wasp, that they believe was worshipped as a kind of god." Skids said. 

Springer smirked, "A mechanical wasp?" 

Skids said, "Yes, a wasp. But the best part is, get this, we ran some scans, and it's of _Cybertronian_ origin. Wild stuff, I'm telling you." 

"Uh, well, look into that." Rodimus said. "But when I said unusual activity, I meant _Decepticon_ activity." 

"Oh, Decepticon activity? Let's see... it's been awhile. I can't remember, it's been so long. I'll go get Hound. Just a minute... Hound!!!!" 

"No Skids, that's alright, no need to get... Hound! How's everything down there?" Rodimus said, trying to sound happy. 

"Everything is just fine," Hound said curtly, "is this a social call, or do you want something?" 

"Hound, how long have you gone without any Decepticon activity?" 

"We're going on 3 months. _Prime_." 

"Thanks, Hound." said Rodimus, trying to be polite. "Hound?" 

"Hey, Rodimus." said Skids. "Sorry about that. I forgot how Hound felt about you. He and Optimus were tight. Give him some time, he'll open up." 

"Time?" asked Springer. "It's been two years." 

"No, he's right." said Rodimus. "I have some pretty big shoes to fill, and he still feels that I just fell into this role." 

"Technically, you did." retortrd Springer. 

"Anyway," said Rodimus, changing the subject. "Thanks Skids, and look into that bee thing for me, okay?" 

"Wasp." said Skids "Sure thing, boss. Well, see you Blaster, Springer, Opti-- I mean Hot R-- Rodimus! Sorry, force of habit. Bye." 

"See ya, Skids." said Blaster, cutting of the transmission. 

Rodimus began pacing, and almost under his breath, "Everything's falling into place...everything points towards..." 

It was Bumblebee who brought him back to attention, "Hey boss, would you mind letting us all in on what's going on?" 

"Wha--? Oh yes. Perceptor?" Rodimus said as he pressed a button to dim the lights and cause a white screen to appear on the wall. 

Perceptor began, "Thank you, Rodimus. Two hours ago, one of our long range probes picked up a disturbing image just outside the system. As you know, we have extreme difficulty scanning for Unicron related technology. As such, we cannot scan for Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, the Sweeps or the Decepticon ship, the Nemesis II." 

Magnus interupted, "Yes, this is all very interesting, but is there a point to all this?" 

Perceptor, taken aback, said, "Yes, I was just getting to that." He transformed into his microscope mode, and aimed his lens towards the white screen and projected an image. "This came from one of our probes, and we stumbled upon this purely by chance." 

The image showed a view of deep space, and all seemed normal, until what looked like a ship came into the frame, crossing the top of it. Perceptor continued, "This appears to be the left wing of the Nemesis II, viewed from the bottom." 

Kup, almost stunned, or at least as close to stunned as he could get, said, "The Nemesis II? And this is just outsystem?" 

"Correct." said Perceptor. "This next part is especially fascinating." A panel on the wing opened, and from the bottom of the screen a jet flew towards the opening. It transformed just before entering, and the panel closed, as the ship continued on it's way. 

"Dirge," said Kup, "no doubt on a scouting mission." 

Perceptor, returning to robot mode concurred, "Yes, but fortunately enough for us, all our new probes are small enough to have cloaking devices. They would require intensive scanning to locate." 

"And fortunately enough for us, Dirge isn't terribly bright." Springer said, as several around him nodded in agreement. 

Jazz said, "But Prime, what does all this mean?" 

Blurr butted in, "It means the Decepcicons are going to attack if they don't attack here they attack Earth if they don't attack Earth they attack here if they don't attack either that means they're planning something big so big they stop attacking here and Earth to prepare so big they're just outsystem and are probably preparing to attack as we speak that's what it all means!" 

"Thank you, Blurr, I don't think I could have said it better myself." said Rodimus, trying not to laugh. 

"Sure thing Rodimus you know you can count on me." 

"He's right," Rodimus said somberly, "the lull in attacks is a sure sign the Decepticons are planning something big. So I need everyone on high alert. They think they have the element of surprise, but when they arrive, we'll be ready for them." 


	3. Status Report... Of Death!/Boredom

Note: I own bumpkus. Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel, now those guys own LOTS of stuff.  
  
  
**

Chapter 3

**  
  


**C**yclonus paced around the docking bay of the Nemesis II, wondering where Dirge was. _He's almost 15 minutes late. Five more, and I'm going out myself_. It was then that he heard Thrust's voice from across the bay. 

"Hey Dirge! What took so long? You didn't have a run-in with a bounty hunter, did you?" said Thrust, chuckling. 

"Don't mock me!" shouthed Dirge, defensively. "I almost killed Defcon that one time! You can't deny me that!" 

"Almost killed him?" asked Ramjet. "As I recall, Defcon had just finished single handedly killing Bruticus, and you shot him in the back. If I hadn't led him on a wild goose chase, he would have torn you to shreds with his bare hands!" 

Dirge rambled, "Why you-- I should--" 

"Dirge!" shouted Cyclonus as he marched towards him. "You were supposed to report 15 minutes ago!" 

"Well, have fun with the big guy." said Thrust as he slapped Dirge on the back before heading off with Ramjet. 

"Dirge reporting in, sir! Nothing unusual to report, sir! No Autobot activity at all, sir!" said Dirge, in full brown nosing mode. 

"Excellent..." said Cyclonus. "But I will not tolerate such lateness in the future. Dismissed!" 

"Sir!" shouted Dirge as he went off to join Ramjet and Thrust. 

"Blitzwing! You're on the next patrol!" Cyclonus shouted across the bay. The triple changer said nothing as he saluted and headed towards the bay doors. "No Autobot activity..." Cyclonus mused to himself, "Galvatron should be most pleased." as he entered the elevator to the bridge.   
  


**G**alvatron was bored. He waited through Soundwave's communications report, tried to pay attention to Astrotrain's report on the Energon supply, and could barely conceal his displeasure as he endured Shockwave's report on weapons status. He was about to send Shockwave off when the door to the bridge opened and Cyclonus emerged. "Ah, Cyclonus. What have you to report?" he inquired hoping for some interesting news. 

"Nothing, Lord Galvatron." was Cyclonus' response. 

"Nothing?" said Shockwave, who would have smiled if he had a mouth. 

"Explain yourself, Cyclonus." Galvatron asked. 

Cyclonus said, "Dirge reports nothing. Ramjet reports nothing. Thrust reports nothing. Scourge and the Sweeps report nothing. The Autobots have no idea that we are coming." 

"Heh, heh, heh..." Galvatron laughed, "All this preperation has been worthwile. Soon I will rip Rodimus Prime apart and smash the Matrix to pieces. We attack in 12 hours!" 

"Yes, sir!" Cyclonus and Shockwave reported in unison. 

"Cybertron will once again be ours!" Galvatron cackled, before he returned to looking out into the vastness of space. 


	4. Surprise Attack?/Is This The Right Thing...

Note: yet again, I have nothing of value. Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel own all.  
  
**

Chapter 4

**  
  


**O**n Cybertron, it was mid-afternoon. Not that it really mattered, as just like at dawn, the time didn't really matter. At any rate, it was at afternoon that the Nemesis II appeared in the skies above Cybertron. Rodimus, along with most of the other Autobots he gathered for the meeting, were congregating on the ground level of the Citadel, awaiting word of the attack. 

Perceptor rushed into the roon and announced, "Our cloaked probes have just spotted the Nemesis II. Based on its trajectory, I estimate that they will land on the outskirts of the city, to the south east." 

Rodimus, checking his gun, said, "You heard him. Let's show Galvatron that he wont surprise us that easily."  
  


**I**n the docking bay of the Nemesis II, the Decepticons bristled with anticapation. As the they went over their equipment and psyched themselves up, Galvatron made his way in front of them. "It has been two years since the Autobots stole our planet Cybertron away from us. Two years since we have lived on our native ground. But today that will end! They will no longer be the conquerors, but the conquered! We will take back what is rightfully ours!" 

As Galvatron delivered his speech, Cyclonus felt uneasy. Autobots and Decepticons had once lived in harmony, and before that had been one and the same. _Is it really right for us to fight like this?_ But now was not the time for thoughts like that. 

Galvatron finished his speech, "...and grind them into dust! Cyclonus?" 

Cyclonus moved forward and stated, "We will disembark just on the outskirts of Iocon. Scourge and the Sweeps will cover the right. Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust will cover the left. Blitzwing and myself will take the lead. In the center will be Astrotrain, who will ferry Galvatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, and the Constructicons to the surface. There Devastator will cut a swath of destruction straight to the Citadel. Once there, Shockwave will take control of the planetary defenses, allowing us to take over the planet. The Autobots are currently unaware of our presence, so we must move quickly, before they can put together a coherent force." 

"Astrotrain! Transform!" ordered Galvatron, who the proceeded to board the space shuttle, followed by Soundwave, Shockwave, and the Constructicons. "Our cause is just and our sparks are pure. Decepticons forever!" 

"Decepticons forever!" repeated the others. 

The docking bay door opened and Cyclonus, taking the lead, ordered, "Begin the attack!" 

All was going according to plan, but when they were nearly to the surface, Thrust took a hit to the wing. He was knocked off course, but was able to right himself. Cyclonus thought, _They can't have spotted us yet!_ and commanded, "Evasive maneuvers!" He spotted about a dozen Autobots, all engaged in firing upon them. He almost ordered retreat when Astrotrain went down. 

"Good shot, Magnus!" said Rodimus Prime. "We can assume Galvatron was riding that!" 

Before Astrotrain could do anything else, Galvatron and the others emerged. "Constructicons! Form Devastor! Kill every Autobot!" 

Rodimus looked on, "Oh, slag! Dinobots! Take care of Devastator!" 

Soundwave headed straight towards his opposite number, Blaster, and sent his tapes to attack. Blaster responded in kind, and Ramhorn attacked Laserbeak, Steeljaw faced off with Ravage, and Eject and Rewind engaged in hand to hand combat with Rumble and Frenzy. "Blaster inferior, Soundwave superior." he said coldly. Blaster responded by punching him in the face. 

Shockwave transformed into a laser, and began taking potshots at Blurr. Because of his speed, Shockwave was unable to score a clean hit. While he was distracted, Bumblebee was able to get close enough to plant an explosive at his base, and the resulting blast knocked him out. 

For his trouble, Bumblebee was shot in the leg by Blitzwing, who was in turn shot down by Kup. Kup, Springer, Jazz, Magnus, and Blurr had at this point begun firing at all the fliers as they scrambled around. One of the Sweeps charged at Springer, who transformed into car mode and decided to lead him on a chase. 

Springer hated the Sweeps. He had always hated the Insecticons. Maybe it was the creepy way they acted, or how the first time he was on Earth some insects crawled under a damaged piece of his armor plating and chewed on some wiring. But the Sweeps were even worse. After being reformatted, they had no personality and acted in unison. He found it highly disturbing. So now he was speeding away from the scene of battle, with a Sweep firing at him all the while. But he saw his chance. A nearby cliff, which, if he remembered correctly, had a pretty steep drop. He gunned for it and the Sweep followed. _I hope these guys are as dumb as I think they are!_ He went over the edge and transformed to robot mode. As he fell, he fired at the Sweep, who was now in a nose dive, also firing. The Sweep transormed and pointed his sword downward, hoping to impale Springer when he hit the ground. _But I have other plans..._ At the last moment, Springer transformed into helicopter mode and flew off. _Try to use ME to break your fall? Not likely_. The Sweep hit hard and suffered extreme damage. 

While this was going on, Thrust saw them go over the cliff, and followed them to help finish Springer off. He saw the Sweep's damaged body, and when he moved to investigate, Springer emerged from hiding, shot him several times and put him down, then returned to the battle. 

Blurr drove up unto a ridge that overlooked the battle. As Ramjet made a pass, Blurr moved at high speed and jumped the ridge, transforming in mid air, and landing on top of the jet. Ramjet wildly tried to shake him off, but Blurr was able to get a shot off to one of his engines, forcing him to crash. Blurr was able to jump off in time, but was met by Dirge. Blurr had dropped his gun, and was about to rush him when Dirge was shot from behind by Jazz and Kup. 

"Thanks Kup thanks Jazz but I could have taken him I swear!" 

Jazz said, "Don't get cocky, kid. You're fast, but not that fast!" as he shot at a Sweep, before being grazed by a shot from Galvatron, who was in gun emplacement mode, gleefully firing on the Autobots. 

"Somebody's got to take care of Galvatron, before he kills us all!" shouted Kup. 

Ultra Magnus stepped up, "Leave that to me. Galvatron must be stopped." and he drove off. 

"Isn't that what Optimus said when he--" Blurr began. 

Jazz said, "Don't even think that!" 

For most of the battle, Rodimus had been engaged in melee combat with Scourge. "C'mon Scourge, give it up! You don't think I'm going to let you get the Matrix again!" as he used the railing on his arm to block Scourge's sword. 

"You Autobots and your Matrix! You think that it makes you better than us! You think it makes you pure!" as he parried a blow from Rodimus and slashed him across the leg, "We are the true children of Primus! You took the Matrix for yourselves and corrupted it, so that now only you can use it!" 

Rodimus punched Scourge in the chest and said, "You chose to seperate yorselves! You couldn't stand having to share power!" 

Devastator continued to pound away at the Dinobots. Swoop buzzed around his head, occasionally firing at him, but mostly dodging blows. Devastator picked up Sludge by the tail and swung him at Grimlock, knocking him aside. He then threw Sludge like a hammer, knocking Swoop out of the air. But he didn't see Slag charge him from behind, digging his horn into his left leg. He fell hard on his back, and seperated into his six component parts. 

Thrust came to at the bottom of the cliff. He moved over to the Sweep, and to his surprise, he was still functional. He gathered him up in his arms, and began flying for the ship. 

As Cyclonus flew over the battle field, he seethed with rage. _This is no surprise attack! How could they respond so fast?_ He had little time to wonder when he took a direct hit to an engine. He transformed and landed on his feet, and was surprised when he turned to see his attacker. "Perceptor. I thought you were above this sort of thing." 

"I'm not above fighting to defend my home, Thundercracker." 

"Thundercracker is dead." Cylonus said, "And this is our home as well. We're only fighting to reclaim what is rightfully ours." 

Perceptor said, "If your cause is to reclaim your home, then why attack Earth?" 

Cyclonus paused, "They sympathize with the enemy, and we need their Energon. If you haven't forgotten, we have been cut off from our primary source. Our cause is rightous." 

"Tell me, what is so rightous about conquering the galaxy? Galvatron is a mad man. Once he has what he wants, he'll toss you aside." 

The arguement was cut short when Perceptor was shot in the leg. Cyclonus turned and saw that the shot came from Galvatron. 

Galvatron cackled with glee, "Fall Autobots! Fall!" With Perceptor down, he began trying to hit Blurr, who dodging far to fast for him to line up his shot. As he tracked Blurr, he saw something far more interesting. Rodimus Prime had knocked Scourge down, and was now isolated. His back was turned, and it was a clean shot. _Right through the Matrix._ "Now you shall die, just as Optimus before you!" So focused he was on making the shot, he failed to notice Ultra Magnus, speeding towards his right side. Magnus made impact just as he fired. Galvatron was sent flying, and the shot went wide, striking Soundwave in the chest. 

The tape cover on Soundwave's chest shattered, exposing his inner workings. Blaster took the oppurtunity to gut punch him with all his strength, causing him to double over in agony. This caused Ravage to fly into a rage in which he tore Steeljaw to pieces, before helping his fellow tapes carry Soundwave's unconscious form towards Astrotrain. Blaster rushed to Steeljaw, and pleaded, "C'mon Steeljaw! Don't die on me!" 

Steeljaw, with the last of his strength, said, "Sorry, boss. I wish I could be more help..." as his spark passed. Blaster was enraged and began firing wildly, taking out Blitzwing and a Sweep. 

Galvatron, regaining his bearings, looked over the battle field, realized that the Decepticons were losing. Although he didn't want to, he finally ordered, "Decepticons! Retreat!" The Decepticons began heading for Astrotrain, those who could walk or fly helping those that couldn't. Galvatron ran, firing behind him, until he was aboard Astrotrain. "Astrotrain! Take off!" 

"Wait!" It was Thrust, who was carrying the damaged Sweep. He made it aboard just before the door closed, and Astrotrain took off. 

Blaster continued firing until well after Astrotrain was out of view. It was Perceptor who stopped him. He walked over with a noticable limp, and gripped the barrel of Blaster's gun. "It's over, my friend. I'm sorry. Steeljaw is with the Matrix now." 

As Perceptor consoled Blaster, Rodimus moved towards where Springer and Ultra Magnus were. "Status?" he asked. 

Magnus responded, "Steeljaw was killed, I'm afraid. Bumblebee had a leg blown off, but should be fine." 

Springer cut in, "And the big guy here put a massive dent in his front fender by running in to Galvatron! But in all seriousness, we're all a little beat up, but for the most part it's nothing too serious." 

Rodimus asked, "And the Decepticons?" 

"Soundwave looked really beat up." said Magnus. "And Dirge and Ramjet are dead. So is that Sweep Blaster just shot." 

"I'm pretty sure I killed a Sweep." said Springer, "I saw Thrust carry it on Astrotrain, but it was totalled. I'm surprised he lived long enough for Thrust to rescue him." 

"We were hurt badly, but not as bad as we could have been," Rodimus began, "and we hurt them, although not as bad as we could have. But we did stop one of Galvatron's major plans, one he spent months preparing. And we did it with minimal damage to the planet, and we should be proud of that." 

Kup said, "Nice speech, kid. Now lets go back to the city and let the clean up crews take care of all this." 

The injured Autobots were loaded onto Ultra Magnus, and Rodimus proclaimed, "Autobots! Transform, and roll out!" and they returned to the city as the sun set. 

Not that the setting of the sun made all that much difference. 


	5. Possession Redux/Self Indulgence

Remember, Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel own all this stuff.  
  
  
**

Chapter 5

**  
  


**A**strotrain came to a hard stop in the Nemesis II's docking bay. He immediately contacted the Sweep left behind on the bridge, "Kickback! Get us out of here, now!" and transformed once the Decepticons had disembarked. 

The Sweep responded in a cold monotone, "As you command." 

"Report!" Galvatron ordered. 

"Ramjet was left behind, dead." Cyclonus stated. "As was one of the Sweeps. Bombshell, I believe. Dirge died as well, shot in the back." 

"Shot in the back?" Galvatron asked. "How ironic, considering the story he always told. Injuries?" 

"Soundwave suffered major damage, but much of it was superficial." continued Cyclonus. "The other Sweep, Shrapnel, was also damaged. So severely, in fact, that repair seems unlikely." 

"With the loss of Ramjet, Dirge and Bombshell, we can't afford to lose another warrior. Get the Constructicons begin repairs immediately, firstly with the Sweep and then Soundwave." Galvatron said, "Scourge! Shockwave! With me to the bridge!" as he departed. 

Cyclonus said, "Hook, begin work on the Sweep." 

"Right away." said Hook. "Longhaul! Take him to the workshop!" 

Longhaul transformed into dump truck mode, and as Thrust gently placed the Sweep onto it's bed, Cyclonus noticed something just out of the corner of his eye. It appeared to be a ball of energey, and it effortlessly passed through the hull. He realized what is was. _A spark!_ "It's Starscream again! Keep your guard up! Don't let--" but he was cut off as the spark entered the body of the damaged Sweep and the bay was engulfed in a flash of light. Thrust, Hook, and Longhaul were all knocked aside as the Sweep rose up and was suspended in midair. _What in the name of the Pit is going on?_

The Sweep was now crackling with energy, and its damaged body began to repair itself. But it was not as it was before. Its feet were now claws with two fingers at the front and one at the back, and its hands now also had two fingers and a thumb. Its wings now split into four sections. Its mouth now had four mandibles at either side, and its eye was now a large, glowing oval which bisected down the middle. The rest of its structure was for the most part unchanged. It landed, and as it rose up to stand, screamed in a raspy voice, "Ha ha ha! I live! I LIVE!!!" 

Cyclonus did the only thing he could do. He activated his communicator and said into it, "Lord Galvatron. There's something in the docking bay I think you should see." 


	6. Turning Japanese/I Really Think So!

And the Jeopardy! answer: Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel.   
Correct response: Who owns everything in this chapter?  
  
  
**

Chapter 6

**  
  


**D**estron Alpha. The Throneworld of the Neo Seibertronian Empire. It was located in an isolated region of space, unknown to the Autobots and Decepticons. It was the first of the seventeen worlds conquered by the Destrongers. And it was now one of the eight that remained. 

Lieutenant Fractyl was nervous. In recent months, they had lost nine worlds, over half the Empire, all under mysterious circumstances. Despite extensive investigations, no cause could be found. They were all the same. All technology, including all Destrongers, were gone, leaving only empty shells. And so Destron Alpha's defenses had been tripled, leaving Fractyl on a constant patrol. The terror that his world could be destroyed at any moment did little to alleviate his boredom. It was at times like these he almost envied the near mindless seekers which comprised his squadron. Due to the method by which they reproduced, the majority of the Destrongers had minimal intelligence. The seekers, and most other Destrongers, resembled the old Decepticon pyramid planes, the originals, not the 'coneheads', as the later ones were called. Fractyl was dark green with red trim on his shoulder guards, while the seekers were white with black trim. 

Fractyl's boredom was interupted when his sensors picked up something coming down in his sector. _It's too fast for a meteor. Great. It's probably the vanguard of the invasion. We're doomed._ Whatever it was, he could now tell it was a ship. He ordered his squad to move towards it and contacted the central headquarters. "Antagony. This is Fractyl in sector G-72. Tell the General I'm investigating a mysterious ship that's coming down. It doesn't respond to hails. I'm moving in, over." 

Not waiting for a response, he ordered the ship, "Slow down and respond!". He repeated it several times, and as the ship did neither, he had two of his seekers move in and match speed with the ship. The seekers transformed and grasped each side of the ship, and gradually slowed it down to a complete stop. Fractyl approached, and to his surprise recognized the ship. It was half again longer than the seekers, but much thinner, clearly built for speed. And it was a distinctive shade of silver. The ship slowly transformed, as if it required a great deal of effort. Fractyl, nearly in shock, stammered, "Lord Rook! What brings you here?" 

Rook responded weakly, "G-get me... to central... h-head... quarters..." and went into stasis lock. 

Fractyl said "Yes sir! At once!" and had an additional two seekers assist the first two in carrying Rook. Fractyl and the other eight members of his squadron formed an honour guard and returned to base at top speed. He opened contact, "Antagony! Have intercepted unknown craft! Am returning to base, maintaining radio silence, over!" and wondered why this couldn't have happened to someone else. _This would never happen to Tarantulas!_  
  
  


_Author's note:_ If you're wondering what Rook looks like, here's a basic description. Picture Blurr. His vehicle mode is longer and thinner, and is intended for flight. It has two small wings, located about 2/3 of the way back. His robot mode is taller and lankier, with the wings on his back pointing downward like on a seeker. And to avoid confusion, by 'seeker', I refer to a standard Decepticon jet, like Starscream. 


	7. Yeah, He Was My Favourite/Dude! It's The...

It's your standard Statue of Liberty Play! Except for ONE thing... everything is owned by Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel! Let's hussle, people!  
  
  
**

Chapter 7

**  
  


**I**n the docking bay of the Nemesis II, the possessed Sweep found himself surrounded by a ring of Decepticons, all of whom had guns drawn. _Where am I?_ When _am I?_ He was considering shooting his way out when he heard a doorway open to the left of him. 

The ring of Decepticons broke to allow Galvatron in. He levelled his fusion cannon at the Sweep and demanded, "You're not Starscream. Who are you, and what in the Pit are you doing here?" as his cannon begun to power up. 

The Sweep's eyes grew wide, "Galvatron? Then that means I'm... that time... yesss... Ahaha, haha, hahaha..." 

Galvatron grew angry, "Explain yourself! you have five seconds to comply!" and aimed directly at the Sweep's face. "1, 2, 3, 4..." 

"Wait!" blurted out the Sweep, "I am called Tarantulas. My body was destroyed... but my spark lived..." he paused, considering what to say. "I wandered space... I don't know how long... This body's spark was weak, allowing me to take it over..." 

"I know of no 'Tarantulas'. Where are you from?" Galvatron demanded. 

Tarantulas chuckled, "The future... hahaha..." 

"The future?" Cyclonus spat. "That's impossible." 

Tarantulas quickly said, "When I was... destroyed... I was trapped in the past. That is how I came to be in this era..." 

Galvatron began to circle Tarantulas, "And what of your allegiance?" 

"Predacon... those who descended from the Decepticons... aha..." 

"Predacon? Is it safe to assume that they are the rulers of Cybertron?" 

"Sadly, no." said Tarantulas, "But we can change that, yes?" 

Galvatron laughed, "Yes... with your knowledge of the future... but you'd be willing to alter time?" 

"A Decepticon victory... haha... is a Predacon victory..." Tarantulas said. _Fool. He'll play right into our hands..._

"Good..." said Galvatron. "Constructicons, continue repairs on Soundwave. Scourge, show our... guest around the ship." and as an aside to Thrust and Blitzwing, "Follow him. If he tries anything, shoot first." _Fool. He'll play right into my hands..._  
  
  


***

  
  


**"F**ractyl! What in the name of Primus is going on!" Antagony shouted as Fractyl entered central headquarters. Like Fractyl, Antagony held the rank of lieutanant, and was coloured black with red trim. Unlike Fractyl, however, she was one of the few transformers with a female personality, and accordingly, her body was a more feminine version of a standard seeker. "The general will have your spark on a platter if you don't report at once! Do you have any idea how upset he is?" 

"Antagony, a pleasure as always," Fractyl retorted, "And I believe the general can't possibly be as upset as he will be once he sees what I brought back..." 

Antagony was shocked. "You brought the object here? Have your circuits..." and stopped when Fractyl moved aside to allow the seekers entrance. "Lord Rook! Is he..?" 

"Fortunately, only in stasis lock." 

Antagony began, "But if he's here and damaged, than that means..." 

"Yes." A booming voice filled the room, as Jhiaxus, First General of the Neo Seibertronian Empire arrived. "Destron Beta has been destroyed." although of similar configuration, he was more than a full head taller than his lieutenants, and coloured white with gold trim. 

Antagony stammered, "Destroyed, general? But... maybe he simply encoutered a meteor showere on his way here... or..." 

"Ah, such naivete," Jhiaxus said. "It had been kept quiet, but we lost contact with Beta several cycles ago. We had hoped it was due to natural interferrance... but now, it seems, it was our mysterious adversary. There has never been a survivor... until now." 

"Sir, the liege will return shortly, we should take Rook to the CR chamber before he arrives." said Antagony. 

Jhiaxus said, "Very well. Fractly, help us." and gently removed Rook from the seekers' care. 

"As you command," said Fractyl. "Seekers! Resume your patrol!" and helped Jhiaxus and Antagony carry Rook. _Finally, something important to do!_


	8. Unicron Wasn't All Bad/I Owned Both Thos...

I own nothing, blah, blah, blah, Hasbro, Takara, Marvel own every thing.   
  


**Chapter 8**

**A**s Tarantulas toured the halls of the Nemesis II he couldn't help but ponder, "Say what you will about Unicron, but I must admit, he knew how to build ships." 

His guide, Scourge, agreed, "Yes. He was quite skilled at creating weapons of war. I have him to thank for this body. It almost makes up for him trying to destroy us all." he glanced behind himself to make sure Thrust and Blitzwing were still there. "This concludes the tour. If you'll follow me to the lift, we will go to the bridge to confer with Galvatron." 

They entered the elevator, and Thrust made an aside to Blitzwing, "What do you think of this newcomer?" 

"He seems... odd" Blitzwing whispered, "Like he's trying to hide something." 

Thrust nodded, "And what about Shrapnel? He was damaged, but he was still one of us..." 

Tarantulas turned. "You know, I CAN hear you..." 

Scourge interupted, "Stop bickering, we're here!" They entered the bridge. 

Galvatron approached, and inquired, "So, what do think of our ship?" 

"It is... most impressive, mighty Galvatron," Tarantulas said. "Much better than my last ship." He looked over at Thrust and Blitzwing. "However, the help leaves... something to be desired. Aha." Thrust and Blitzwing glowered. 

"Well," Galvatron said as he put his arm around Tarantulas. "We're fighting a losing war. And that's where you come in my friend. What can you tell me... about the future?"  
  
  


***

  
  


**I**n the repair bay, Soundwave came back online. His optics were down, but he was able to hear the Constructicons. 

"So, Scavenger, what's the deal with this Tarantulas?" Long Haul asked. 

"I ran some scans on him," began Scavenger. "Remember back when Starscream possessed some of our guys?" 

Long Haul sighed. 

"Okay, bad question." Scavenger said, "Anyway, when Starscream possessed them, their sparks remained intact." 

Long Haul said, "I follow you so far. But what does this..." 

"You see, a ran the scans on Tarantulas, and..." Scavenger began. "... Shrapnel's spark was completely displaced. He's gone." 

"Shrapnel's dead? Slag." was Long Haul's response. 

"I know." said Scavenger. "He wasn't the same since that whole Unicron thing, but he was still one of us. A 'con's a 'con." 

Soundwave listened, but was unable to respond. The notion of this 'Tarantulas' fascinated him. He begin a mental scan of the ship, pinpointed an unusual prescence that could only be Tarantulas. He read the thoughts the interloper, and was shocked by what he found. Unable to speak or even move, his only hope was that the Constructicons could repair him in time to warn Galvatron. 


	9. Wheelie Is Unloved/Someone Had To Do It

Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel own everything. I own nothing  
  


**Chapter 9**

**A**utobot City on Earth. Established shortly before the Decepticons conquered Cybertron. For a time, it had been the Autobots' primary base. After the defeat of Unicron, Cybertron was taken back, and Autobot city was delegated to being a secondary base. Now commanded by Hound and Arcee, it was home to a motley crew of second stringers and basket cases. In short, everyone the Autobots on Cybertron didn't want around. 

Case in point: the control room, the central nervous system of the city. Currently manning the monotoring equipment were the jittery Red Alert, the egomaniacal Sunstreaker, the borderline suicidal Trailbreaker, and Wheelie, who quite frankly, was second only to Galvatron in terms of how disliked he was by the other Autobots. 

Red Alert was nervous. Paranoid, even. But why not? His fellow Autobots had just fended off a Decepticon attack, at the cost of one of their own. While Red Alert couldn't say he knew Steeljaw, a 'bot's a 'bot. 

What worried him more was the fact the attack came with so little warning. It was shear luck that the space probe saw the Nemesis II coming. If it hadn't, the Autobots on Cybertron would have been decimated, and he'd probably be wearing a purple insignia right now. Or be dead. Or be undergoing torture so unimaginably horrible that-- 

"Red Alert! Snap out of it!" it was Arcee, who had just entered the control room. 

Getting up from the monitoring station, Red Alert stammered, "Snap out of what? No ma'am, I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary! Hey, look at Wheelie! I bet he's slacking--" 

"What's that, 'fraidy cat?" said Wheelie indignantly from across the room. "Wheelie say--" 

"Shut up, Wheelie!" shouted Arcee and Red Alert, along with Trailbreaker and Sunstreaker. 

Wheelie sat returned to his station, depressed. 

"And you," said Arcee, getting back to the point, "I saw you jittering. Your paranoia is getting out of hand, even for you." 

"Well, you know what happened on Cybertron," Red Alert said, "we came this close," gesturing with his thumb and forefinger "to getting our tailplates handed to us. That, and I got a hunch." 

Arcee sighrd, "A hunch? Remember the last time you had a hunch?" 

"This is hardly the time for recriminations..." 

"It turned out to be a tour bus full of seniors!" 

"Hey!" said Red Alert, "You should've seen the look in their eyes! They wanted us dead!" 

Barely audible, Arcee said, "I wish Kup was still..." 

"I heard that! I'm TWICE the security chief Kup ever was!" 

"We'll see about that," Arcee said as she turned her communicator on. "Hound? Hound, you there?" 

"What is it?" replied Hound. 

"Why did you appoint Red Alert chief of security?" 

"Because Prowl's gone, and Kup's back on Cybertron." 

"Oh come on!" said Red Alert, "I'm not that bad! What about Wheelie, why's he here?" 

Hound growled, "Because I lost that bet with Springer," and under his breath, "and Grimlock wont let me kill him... uh, end transmission!" 

Wheelie got up to respond, but Trailbreaker slapped the back of his head. 

"Thank you." Arcee said, "And you! Get back to work!" 

Red Alert returned his station. Unfortunately, while talking to Arcee, he missed the scout ship that passed over the Earth while looking for a suitable planet for colonization...   
  
  


***

  
  


**"S**pringer, I don't know if I can do this anymore." 

_Slag, here we go again,_ Springer thought to himself. Rodimus Prime, as usual, was pacing around his office. Springer had arrived with an acquisitions form from maintenance, and now he was going to be subject to another of Rodimus' diatribes. 

"Steeljaw just died." Rodimus started, "Was it because of me? Could I have done anything to prevent it? What right do _I_ have to lead the Autobots into battle? I got the Matrix almost by accident! And Optimus! I may as well of pulled the trigger! I--" but before he could finish the sentence, Springer punched him in the face. Unprepared for the assault, Rodimus was knocked to the floor. He sat there in stunned silence for a few moments, until he took Springer's offered hand. "I could have you executed for treason, you know." 

"You're an Autobot," Springer said, "You wouldn't execute anyone. Besides, someone had to do it." 

"Someone had to do what?" asked Rodimus. 

Springer sighed. "Knock some sense into you. This 'woe is me' garbage is really starting to grate on us. This whole 'I'm not worthy!' thing." 

"But I'm not--" 

"There you go!" Springer shouted. "I've heard that Magnus said the same thing when Optimus gave him the Matrix. Maybe he was right. But you? You defeated Galvatron, took back the Matrix, destroyed Unicron, and led all of us out before it all exploded. And that was your first day! Do you think Optimus got that much done on HIS first day?" 

"I got lucky." Began Rodimus, dishearted. "I was in the right place at the right time. If it had been you, or Jazz, the result would have been the same." 

"You know that's not true. Every time you've gone on one of your 'spirit quests' into the Matrix, it's always told you that you're worthy. When the Quintessons brought him back, Optimus himself told you that you were worthy. But not a week later, you were questioning your skills as a leader." Springer looked Rodimus straight in the eye. "It's hurting morale. Me and the guys have been talking, and if you don't shape up soon, we're giving the Matrix to Bumblebee." 

Rodimus couldn't help but smile when he heard that. "You're right, of course. I have been too hard on myself. It's just hard to deal with Optimus' old crew. Some of them still resent me for what happened to him. Hound, especially." 

"Give Hound some time," Springer said. "I'm sure that killing Galvatron will change his tune." 

Before Rodimus could respond, his communicator beeped. "Rodimus here." 

"Prime, I'm in Perceptor's lab." said Ultra Magnus from the other end. "You should come down here right away. Something big is happening." 


	10. Bereaucracy/The Plot Doth Thicken

Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel own everything.  
  
**

Chapter 10

**

**A** few minutes earlier, Ultra Magnus had just entered Perceptor's lab. _What a dump. How does he get anything done?_ As he pushed past the piles of junk and debris, he half expected Wreck-Gar to emerge. 

"Perceptor? Perceptor!" he inquired as he navigated the surprisingly complex laboratory. 

"I'm back here!" Perceptor shouted. Ultra Magnus finally found him, adjusting a monitor screen. "How may I be of service?" 

"Rodimus sent me to check up on your work." Magnus said, "Making sure everything's going along smoothly." 

"Making sure I don't go over budget, you mean." said Perceptor. "Soldiers and bureaucrats can never understand the importance of scientific advancement in regards to military tactics. Without my cloaked probes, we would never have known of the Decepticon attack." 

"The war's dying down. You had to of seen the desperation of their assault. Without fear of attack, we can finally focus on reconstruction." Magnus stated. "These probes of yours simply aren't worth the effort anymore." 

"Interesting you should say that." commented Perceptor as he returned to operating the monitor screen. "I just recieved a transmission that one of our long range probes has finally left explored space." 

"Well, the results had better be worth it." 

"I'm bringing the images up now," Perceptor began, "it's time-lapse, so every two seconds will equal one hour." 

They watched for a few minutes, and Ultra Magnus was about to leave when he noticed something very strange. They watched in horror as it unfolded. Slightly over a minute later, it was over. "Replay that." said Magnus. Perceptor also replayed it a third a fourth time without being asked. 

They stared at each other in shock. Ultra Magnus broke the silence when he activated his communicator. 

"Rodimus here." 

"Prime, I'm in Perceptor's lab." said Ultra Magnus coldly. "You should come down here right away. Something big is happening."  
  
  


***

  
  


**"W**hat are we going to do?" Antagony asked as she exited the medical bay of Destron Alpha's central headquarters. 

"We'll do what we always do." Jhiaxus said, walking along side her. "Engage the enemy. Conquer. And destroy." 

They were headed towards the thrown room to see the liege. Fractyl had stayed behind in the medical bay to watch over Rook's recovery. "But this isn't an ordinary enemy! Beta makes ten planets they've destroyed so far. Not since the Quintessons have we faced such a threat." 

They approached the entrance to the throne room. "Stand by for identification." a monotone voice stated. "Scanning... General Jhiaxus and Lieutenant Antagony, confirmed. The liege is currently absent, but should arrive in a few moments." 

"We'll wait in there." Jhiaxus said, and the door opened to admit them. "Ah yes, the Quintessons. We showed them their place soon enough, didn't we? They owe their continued existence to fact we may someday have use for them. The same goes for our 'brothers'." 

"There haven't even been any survivors, aside from Rook. We stand no chance of winning." 

"So be it. Victory or death. For a Destronger, there is nothing else." 

Before Jhiaxus could continue, an honour guard of two dozen seekers entered. Unlike the traditional white and black seekers, the royal guards were red with black trim. A twenty-fifth seeker, this one gold with black trim, then entered and announced, "Make way for First Minister Gigatron, Liege Maximo of the Neo Seibertronian Empire, Master of all it's worlds!" 

Jhiaxus and Antagony both saluted as the Liege Maximo made his way across the room. To say he resembled Megatron would be an understatement. Gigatron was an earlier make of the same model. He was somewhat taller, and coloured gold, but the resemblance was uncanny. Unlike Megatron, however, he had a fusion cannon mounted on each of his arms. "At ease, general, lieutenant." Gigatron said as he approached. "The inspection tour went as expected. What have you to report?" 

"Welcome back, my liege." Jhiaxus said. "It is as we feared. Beta has been destroyed." 

"Unfortunate." Gigatron said. "The loss of Second Minister Rook will--" 

"Don't jump to conclusions." said Rook as he limped into the room. 

Fractyl rushed in after him, "Jhiaxus, sir! His restoration was incomplete, I tried to stop him!" 

"Shut up!" demanded Rook. "I don't deserve such treatment. I deserted my post." 

"Yes sir." muttered Fractyl. "Shutting up." 

"Never mind that." Gigatron said. "What happened to Destron Beta?" 

Rook nervously looked around the room, sure that no one would believe him. "From a distance, it looked like a black mist. But as they approached, we could get a good look. They looked like faces, with tendrils. They devoured all in their path." Rook rubbed the back of his head as he considered what to say next. "We sent wave after wave of warriors, but to no avail. Our weapons could hold them off for a short while, but they eventually overwhelmed us with shear numbers. No easy task, with us. In the end, General Rankar and his last group of troops bought me an opportunity to escape. Even then, I barely made it." He gestured, indicating the damage that remained even after his stay in the CR chamber. "It took nearly a year to conquer Beta; they took it in a matter of days. I've thought it over, and have come this conclusion." He took a final nervous glance around the room, and lowered his eyes. "We were attacked... by the Swarm." 

Antagony and Fractyl stared on in astonishment. Jhiaxus laughed. Gigatron's expression remained unchanged. 

"The Swarm?" asked a bemused Jhiaxus. "That's just a fairy tale!" 

"I'm afraid that they are quite real." said a raspy voice from across the room. 

Jhiaxus stifled a laugh, "Oh, really, lieutenant, don't tell me you believe this as well?" 

The lieutenant, who was purple with red trim, crossed the room and said, "I analysed the data that Rook brought back. The energy signature of his attackers is... eerily similar the the energy that is released when we reproduce. This is consistent with the legends of the Swarm." 

"We heard the warnings, and we ignored them." said Gigatron. "Tarantulas, show them the broadcast from Kappa." 

"As you command, mighty Gigatron." said Lieutenant Tarantulas activated the monitor. 

"But Kappa hasn't been..." Antagony began. 

Gigatron said, "We recieced this only hours ago." 

The transmission started. "This is General Mordoss of Destron Kappa. We are under attack! As difficult as this may be to accept... it's the Swarm. There is no other explanation! They cut through the finest warriors as if they were plastic!" he looked around, as if trying to listen for something. "This will be the final transmission. I've resigned to the fact that this battle is unwinable. But a stalemate is more acceptable than loss. I've activated the planetary self destruct." he continued to listen intently. "They are almost upon me." Mordoss inserted a key into the console before him. "Destrongers forever!" he turned the key. "Victory or--" the transmission ended. 

"And then," Gigatron said, "there were six." 

"If that was the Swarm, that can't possibly have destroyed them." said Jhiaxus. 

"Yes." agreed Gigatron. "Only one thing could..." 

"But, we don't know where Cybertron is!" Fractyl stammered. "It's not at it's last known location, and we've been unable to find it again!" 

"We don't need to know where Cybertron is, only where... aha..." Tarantulas trailed off. 

"Explain yourself!" siad Jhiaxus. 

"One of our scout ships recorded this while looking for a suitable colony." said Tarantulas as he adjusted the monitor. "Most of the audio is garbled, but we did pick up this." 

_"What is it?" _

"Why did you appoint Red Alert chief of security?" 

"Because Prowl's gone, and Kup's back on Cybertron." 

"Cybertron!" Antagony said. "Where did you record this?" 

"Some pathetic backwater called 'Earth'." said Tarantulas. "Allow me to enhance the image." 

They saw a city far too advanced for a planet at that stage of development. It was populated by robots, each marked with a familiar red symbol. 

"Unfortunately," began Tarantulas, "They finally noticed and shot down the scout a few minutes later." 

"No matter. We now know that there are Autobots on this 'Earth'." Gigatron said confidently. "More importantly, we have confirmed that Cybertron still exists. Things are finally..." 

Before he could finish, the computer stated, "Incoming distress call from Destron Omikron..." 


	11. Unnecessary Violence/What Do We Do Now?

Hasbro, Takara, and Marvel own everything.  
  
**

Chapter 11

**

**"S**o, tell me Skids. What do you think of being stationed here on Earth?" 

Skids knew this was a loaded question. He had been in the middle of delivering an anthropological report when out of the blue, Hound interupted him. 

When the Autobots had first awakened on Earth, Hound quickly became enamoured with it's people and culture. But ever since the death of Optimus Prime, he started to become edgy. Above all else, he was a soldier, and the present lack of Decepticon activity had been gnawing at him for some time. Although he liked Earth, he missed being on the front lines, and part of him believed that Rodimus stationed him there just so he wouldn't be around. 

Skids, on the other hand, loved being on Earth. It wasn't just the lack of combat, which honestly, he hated, but now that the Decepticons were gone, he relished the chance to freely explore the planet without fear of being shot at. 

What was the correct response? If he said he hated Earth, Hound might take offense at hearing the planet slandered. But if he professed to liking it, Hound could think him a coward. 

"Well, that's an interesting question, Sir." 

"Yes, interesting." Hound said. "So, what do you think of our situation?" 

Unsure of himself, Skids began, "I can't deny that I like the planet. I like exploring it, learning about it's culture, but I sometimes..." 

Skids was interupted by the city's alarm system. "Decepticon activity!" screamed Red Alert over the communicator. 

"Ha ha! Let's go, kid!" Hound enthusiasticaly said as he readied his gun. 

_Whew, got out of that one..._ Skids thought to himself as he followed Hound. _Now, instead of Hound, all I have to deal with is some Decepticons._   
  
  


***

  
  


**R**ed Alert was seething. He kept going over what Arcee said, and knew she was right. That didn't mean he had to accept it. He went back to looking at his monitor, and his eyes widened in horror. _Oh slag!_ He slammed his palm down onto alarm button, and screamed, "Decepticon activity!" into his communicator. 

"Decepticons?" Arcee said as she moved toward Red Alert's station. She looked over his shoulder. "Where are they?" 

Red Alert pointed out the forward viewport. "Right there!" 

What appeared to be a seeker was moving slowly across the horizon. "It's probably scanning us!" Arcee said. "How could it get this close?" she sternly asked Red Alert. 

"Gee, if someone hadn't kept me from my work, maybe I--" 

Wheelie said, "Let's go, while it's moving slow!" 

"Yeah!" shouted Sunstreaker. "I hate to admit it, but Wheelie's right! Let's kick some tail plate!" he turned to head for the exit, but Trailbreaker stopped him. 

"I know a quicker way!" 

"How do you mean?" 

Trailbreaker pointed to the viewport. "Remember maneuver G6?" 

"Ha ha! Yes!" Sunstreaker said. "You take point! Ready?" 

"You bet, buddy!" said Trailbreaker, in a rare moment of inner peace. 

"Oh no..." Arcee said. "Not again!" 

Sunstreaker got on his knees to brace himself, and began firing at the forward viewport. The viewport was designed to be resistant to most weapons fire, but a prolonged barrage to a single point could weaken it enough to break it. "And... now!" he shouted. 

Just as Suntreaker stopped firing, Trailbreaker took a running charge, and smashed through the viewport with a flying shoulder tackle. He landed on the ground, 30 feet below, rolled, and got up firing. Sunstreaker quickly followed him out, and they both charged forward. 

"You idiots!" an enraged Red Alert shouted after them. "Now they have a clear path to the control room!" he said to Arcee. 

"There's only one thing to do." Arcee said. 

"You're right." Red Alert grabbed Wheelie, and said to him, "Wheelie, you go out there. We'll guard the control room. You're the bravest Autobot I've ever known!" and tossed him out the ruined viewport. 

Arcee was aghast. "What are you--" 

"Don't worry." he said. Then louder, "Wheelie, your sacrifice will not be in vain!" 

"I meant we could close the blast shield!" 

"Eh, I like my idea better." said Red Alert as he operated the blast shield control.   
  
  


***

  
  


**H**ound and Skids drove out the city's south-east exit. As they transformed, they began scanning for the Decepticon. "There he is!" Skids shouted, and pointed to the south-west. 

"Hmm..." Hound mused. "Only one? That doesn't seem..." but was stopped by an explosion to the west. 

"They got the control room!" 

"No." Hound said, slapping his forehead. "It exploded outwards." 

"But why would... oh." Skids said. He saw Trailbreaker and Sunstreaker emerge from the debris, firing as they ran south-west. Oddly enough, he also saw Wheelie jump out the viewport. "That's just great." 

"Hurry up!" said Hound as he transformed to jeep mode. "We don't want them to have all the fun, do we?" and sped off. 

"Who said this was fun?" Skids asked himself as he followed suit.   
  
  


***

  
  


**S**unstreaker and Trailbreaker continued their charge. The seeker finally took notice of their advance and transformed. "It looks like Ramjet!" Sunstreaker said. 

"No, I don't think so." responded Trailbreaker. "First of all, Ramjet's vehicle mode was an Earth jet, not a pyramid plane. Second, Ramjet had a cone head, that guy's head is flat. Third, Ramjet's dead." 

"Who cares? Let's just kill him already!" 

"Alright. You wait here. I'll go draw his fire. When he's busy with me, blast him!" 

Sunstreaker twirled his gun around in a dramatic fashion. "Got ya!" 

Trailbreaker transformed and drove in the direction of the seeker. "Come on, you slagging Decep'! You want a piece of me, don't you?!" he trash talked. "Hurry up and shoot me, you--" It was then that the seeker finally opened fire. "Ha ha! Yes! That's... ah, slag." Trailbreaker hit the brakes and went into reverse. "Get ready, I'm on my way!" he was able to turn around and started heading back at top speed. 

Hound and Skids pulled up alongside Sunstreaker's position and transformed. "Sunstreaker, what's the situation?" Hound inquired. 

"Well, right now, 'Breaker's drawing his fire." Sunstreaker pointed in the general direction of where Trailbreaker was. "When he gets close, I'm gonna blast him." 

"Hmm..." Skids adjusted his optics. "I see him. He's cutting and weaving like crazy. He's getting closer. Get ready..." Hound and Sunstreaker both leveled their guns and nodded. "Almost here... almost here... he's heading straight for this... slag. SLAG!" Skids was barely able to dodge in time as Trailbreaker sped past the area he had been standing. Laying face down in the dirt, he meekly ordered, "...and fire!" 

Hound and Sunstreaker unleashed a salvo just as the seeker passed over head. One of Sunstreaker's shots got him right in the midsection, causing him to crash. "Woo-hoo! Got him!" he shouted. 

"Alright!" Hound said as they high fived each other. 

"Yeah, yeah, great." Skids said as he got up off the ground, dusting himself off. "That was some great work. Be sure to give Trailbreaker a medal." 

Trailbreaker doubled back and joined the others. "Ah, it's over already?" he said, disapponted. 

Wheelie drove up at last, on what appeared to be a flat tire. He looked at at Trailbreaker and Sunstreaker, "Back at the base, you should see Arcee's face!" 

"What?" Sunstreaker said. "Oh yeah, that viewport thing." 

"But don't frown, the 'con's down!" 

"Right," said Hound, "I'll pull a few strings, put the blame elsewhere... right on schedule." 

Red Alert pulled up and transformed. "That was some great work, Wheelie! I've never seen such heroism!" 

Hound nodded at Red Alert. "Oh, yes, heroism! You'll be transferred back to Cybertron for sure, now!" 

"Here's hoping." Sunstreaker mumbled. 

"Anyway, let's see what we have." Red Alert moved towards the downed seeker and began his examination. "He doesn't match any known Decepticons. That's odd." 

"What is?" asked Trailbreaker. 

"He doesn't have an insignia. Checking for life signs..." he moved his scanner over the seeker's body. "He's alive, but just barely." 

"Then let's finish the job!" Sunstreaker said as he aimed at the seeker. 

"NO!" Skids shouted as he pushed Sunstreaker over. The shot went wide, almost hitting Wheelie. "You're an Autobot, you can't just kill him!" 

"He's right." Red Alert said, "We need him alive if we're going to interrogate him. We have to get him back to med lab, right now. Trailbreaker, carry him back on your roof." 

"How come I always get stuck with the grunt work?" 

"Because you can support the most weight." Hound said. "Transform, and roll out!"   
  
  


***

  
  


**H**ound and Arcee paced outside the med lab. They anxiously awaited word on whether their attacker had survived. Breaking the silence, Arcee said, "How can you just let those two get away with smashing through the viewport?" 

"Hey, they got the job done, didn't they? Besides, by putting the blame on Wheelie, we just may get him out of here." Hound responded. 

"Do you really think Rodimus will believe that Wheelie could be capable of such mindless violence!" 

"He's so obsessed with getting on my good side that he'll believe whatever I tell him!" 

"And what about the control room?" Arcee asked. 

"I'll assign Sunstreaker and Trailbreaker to repair it. Happy?" 

"Alright." She looked at her chronometer, and then at the med lab door. "Why are your standards so lax?" 

"I've accepted that this base doesn't really matter." Hound said dejected. "The Decepticons have almost no presence here now. Rodimus is using the city as a dumping ground for all the losers he doesn't want around anymore. Look at me. I've never accepted him as leader, so now I'm stuck here." 

"Is that so? Then why am I here?" 

"You chose Springer, didn't you?" 

"No" she stammered. "He can't still be upset over that." 

"Rodimus may have the Matrix, but at heart, he's still just a punk kid." Before he could continue, the med lab doors opened. "So, what's the verdict?" 

"Well, he's alive..." Skids said, "But..." 

"But what?" Arcee asked. 

"He's alive, but he has no mind." Red Alert said. "No mind, no interrogation." 

"But he was shooting at us!" said Hound 

Skids said, "That was just a simple self-preservation protocol. If you remember, he didn't start shooting until he was fired at, and even then, it took nearly a minute for him to react." 

"He has an extremely weak spark." Red Alert said. "And not because he was damaged. It was weak to begin with. His personality, if you could call it that, consists primarily of 'find suitable planet' and 'defend'. That's pretty much it. He had to of been sent by someone else, who was controlling him." 

"So Galvatron sent him?" asked Hound. 

"I don't think so." said Skids. "We went over his tech specs. It wouldn't make sense for Galvatron to hold him in reserve so long." 

"This isn't a newly built robot," began Red Alert, "In fact, it's down right ancient. I'm talking pre-Alpha Trion. We would have run into him by now if he was working for Galvatron." 

"Then who?" Arcee demanded. "Who sent him?" 

"As I mentioned before, he didn't have an insignia. But..." Red Alert said, "... we found something else in his 'mind'. Just two statements. 'Victory or death', and..." 

"And what?" said Hound. 

"And 'Destrongers forever'." Skids finished. 

For the first time in a while, Hound was unsure of what to do. "We better... we better call Prime." 


End file.
